Wings clipped - temporarily

It's really a gift to sprint competitively ... at age 50. On 3/26 I ran the 100 meter dash at Vanderbilt's Black and Gold Invitational. It was a bad day, I injured a hamstring during the race, my first race injury of the season. It wasn't a serious pull, I still managed to hobble across the line in 13.10 ... (0.2 faster than my age group was won at the Finals of the TN Senior Olympics last year). It could have been worse. Fortunately, it was only a "level 1 strain", no 'pop' or serious tear. It felt more like a cramp, and I kept running, albeit, with a shorter stride.

It was really disappointing. Suddenly not being able to run. I should have known I was pressing my luck, my fifth consecutive weekend track meet. I didn't warm up enough. I just ran 3 full speed bursts, no more than 6 steps full speed. It was a cold day and I stood around at the start for more than 10 minutes without doing much. I won't make that mistake again. I was even planning on running the next two upcoming weekends but now, I'm thinking I should wait until May. Also thinking about running the 400m instead of the 100m in my next race. Doing 400m training would be good for me and help strengthen my legs. I'll see how it goes, but there is another invitational at Vandy in 3 weeks, but that is probably too soon.

My ultimate goal is to break some or all of the TN state age group records in the July TN Senior Olympics. It would be a tall order: 12:32 100m, 25.70 200m, and 57.0 400m. The 200m would be the easiest to get.

Looking around at the other sprinters at last weekend's meet, I was the only one who was not wearing tights. After reading an interview with masters sprint champ Bill Collins, I emailed him and asked him about the CW-X tights he wears. He swears by them as being supportive and helpful in preventing injuries. He both trains and competes in them. So, I'm going to give them a try.

It's been 5 days since the injury and it's feeling good. No pain, I'm jogging at a good pace, doing light static stretches in the hot tub and doing a light rehab program. I can run up stairs with no pain. I hope to do one day of light speed work next week and then pick up the pace the week after, returning to full training by the 3rd week in April. I definitely want to run the 400m full speed at the Chattanooga District Senior Games on May 5th, and the 100m and 200m in Nashville on May 14. Unfortunately, these are hand timed events with little competition but participation is required to compete in the state finals.

The injury came really at an opportune time. I need to concentrate on guitar playing since I will be leaving in a week for a clinic and concert in NH. Anyway, this makes me want to train more carefully and intelligently because being injured is no fun. It's a gift to sprint and worth preserving.

Two more Golds and faster still - Indiana Masters Indoor Track Championships

Since I had nothing better to do on spring break, I drove to Taylor University in Upland, IN for the Indiana Masters Indoor Track Championships on 3/12. I won my age group in the 55m with a 7.43 and ran the 200m for the first time ever. Surprisingly my 200m time won both my age group and the overall best time of the meet in all age groups: 26.30.

My 7.43 in the 55m is my best time so far, down more than 3 tenths of a sec from my first meet 6 weeks ago. That is 4 PRs in a row, a nice way to end my indoor season. My only regret is missing the USA Masters 'All American Standard' by just .03 seconds in the 55m.

The Indiana meet didn't offer much competition. I won both my heats and didn't see anyone during the race (although I ran the 55m in a heat of 8 sprinters). These masters meets are so different from running in college meets where I'm far behind the heat winners. In college meets, I feel accomplished to not finish last.

I worked out Tuesday with weights ... the squats and dead lifts have made me quite sore, but I hope to recover by Saturday to run my first 100 meter outdoor race at Governors Stadium in Clarksville on 3/19. I may scratch, I haven't run all week but I'd really like the opportunity to get a baseline time from which to improve upon. I can run the 100m three consecutive weekends: 3/26 at Vanderbilt and 4/2 at either Sewanee or Clarksville.

My goal for the first race is to just get below 13.00. BTW... the TN Senior Games was won last year at 13.28 in my age group. Ultimately, I'd love to get below 12.5. 12.28 was the slowest qualifying time in last year's USA Masters Nationals final heat. We'll see, I've not run a 100m race in 33 years!

UPDATE:

I ran 12.56 in the 100m at APSU on 3/19. A good start.

Next Saturday 3/26: Black and Gold Invitational at Vanderbilt

I hope to run the 100m and 200m

The TN Senior Games state sprint records for the Men's 50 age group 100m and 200m are certainly within reach: 100m - 12.32 and 200m - 25.7

Getting Faster - Mason Dixon Indoor Track Meet

My 55m time is now down to 7.52 and I ran my first 400 meter race ever in 61.72. Good enough for 2 age group Gold Medals in the 51st Annual Mason Dixon Games in Louisville, KY on 3/4/11. The 400m was a surprise since I did not train for it, earned me a national rank of 22nd for that event. I really faded in the last 50m, in better shape, I could easily run under a minute. My splits were approximatley 26 and 35! Talk about languishing in the end.... I was flailing across the finish line, but in first.

My new Nike Superfly R3 shoes seemed to help, although the spike pad got a little chewed up on the antique wooden track. I love these shoes, a big improvement over my old 'UT orange' Adidas Demolishers. They are really light, about 5 or 6 oz.

My 55m time still ranks 8th nationally and will likely remain in the top 10 since the indoor season is wrapping up.

I just may run the outdoor season. 100m and maybe more.

Sprinting the 55m: College Indoor Track Meet

Moving up a notch in the National Masters Track rankings. I'm presently 6th ranked nationally in my age group in the indoor 55m dash - with a 7.60 at the Sewanee Invitational last Saturday, 2/26/11.

My start was good but not great, and I'm happy to have run about the same time as I did at TSU more than 2 yrs ago. My weight was good, probably around 141 at race time. I was proud to be the oldest competitor on the track, and it's amazing that I actually beat 2 college sprinters at this meet. (If I were them, I'd hang it up). I did not train for this, so it gives me motivation to take it more seriously next year. My present speed is not trained ... just 'au naturale.'

I think there is room for at least a 0.35 improvement, maybe more. I need to do some serious lifting and resistance work begining late summer and then work on my starts and leaps with some explosive plyometric training. It would be nice to be able to be strong enough to do more actual sprinting so as to work on form, rather than just saving myself for the meets to avoid injury. The only complete 55m full out sprints I've done this year have been just in the 2 races.

This will be my last sprint race of the season, unless I get crazy and drive to Louisville on Fri.

The guy in the blue in the photo is Dezman Cage who ran a smokin' 6.37 in the finals to win the event.

This has been pure fun, nothing like the feeling of sprinting 100%.

Power and joy.

Return to the track - competitive sprinting at age 50

This blurry video frame is from my 55 meter sprint race at the Tiger Invitational at Sewanee, TN, a college indoor track meet on 2/5/11. Obviously, I'm in third place here, running against college sprinters 30 years younger than I. I finished in a dead heat for third with a college runner who was behind me at this point in the race (just out of the frame).

It was my first sprint race in 2 years and my time wasn't as good as I had hoped for: 7.74. However, it was good enough for a national ranking of 7th in the USA Track and Field Masters for my age group. It's over a second slower than I ran at my peak of speed 32 yrs ago, and 0.15 slower than in '09. Amazingly, I was not the slowest sprinter at that track meet, but naturally, close to it.

It felt great. I'm so happy to be able to participate at my age. Sprinting full out on a nice track when everything is working is a great feeling. Unfortunately, at my age, I simply can't practice full out sprinting as much as I would like. I have to be cautious and save my legs for races.

I feel I can run much faster, and I regret not training for this. Perception is funny, it 'felt' like I was running faster, but the clock doesn't lie. The video shows I had a good start. If I had started training in October, I'm sure I'd be a few tenths faster.

A lot of it is weight control. The higher my body weight, the more stress on the body. It wasn't until just the past few weeks I was able to get down to my high school weight of 143 lbs. I was up as high as 160 just after Christmas.

Indoor track events are not very common around the south without having to drive long distances to attend. I'm happy to have discovered the Fowler Center track at Sewanee and hope to compete there again in 3 weeks. Sprinting is so much more fun than training and running 5K races, although 5K are really good for the heart, lungs, weight control and general health. 5K training however, is hard on the knees. Maybe I'll grit my teeth and run one 5K this year too.

Winter vacation '10-'11

Scenes from winter - one warm and cozy, one bitter cold:

From my Tennessee log house on a cozy evening:

and....

From my parents estate on the Susquehanna River in Conklin, NY - Christmas evening, 2010.

Starting 2011 with a 10K run up Signal Mtn

What a better way to start the new year than a 10K run up Signal Mtn. ... at 8 am in the rain and fog? Fortunately, it was relatively warm with temperatures in the 50s.

The so-called "W Road" is a twisty 1000' climb up Signal Mountain in Chattanooga, TN that is often closed during snowy weather. But today, after a horrendous sleepless night of thunderstorms, the road was open and my friends were waiting when I got there. About a dozen of us - from college aged to 50 something, including 4 women, made the annual run up to Lee's beautiful log house for a party.

It took it us about an hour and thanks to Bill M., maybe I'll join the group again next year.

I've logged about 16 miles in the past 5 days. I expect to decrease my mileage and begin speed and strength work in hopes of sprinting in a few races this year. I'm getting a very late start training for the indoor track season. Also, I'm on a low carb low fat raw vegetarian diet to cleanse my digestive tract and drop about 15 lbs to get to my competition weight. I was as high as 160 lbs., now at 152 and target weight is 144ish.

Check out this tour of the hairpins of "W Road" (H/T Jeff):

Winter unofficially arrives in TN

Iska and Lily at Lake O'Donnell.

It's not officially winter yet but it sure feels like it. I'm glad I drove my SUV up the mountain this weekend. We got the Christmas tree up and went sledding with the kids. It's been really cold. I think it got up to 20º today and last night it snowed about 5 inches. The wind was howling and windchills were around 0º.

Didn't stop me from running 7 miles (in shorts) though! I really do like running in the cold.

Just returned from a walk to Lake O'Donnell. Time to stoke up the fire.

Back to splitting wood, tea, guitar and apple pastry.

'It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.... eeeevry where you go....'

16 mile hike in Savage Gulf - the Collins Loop

The Wild Collins Gulf.


Out of town for the weekend for some hiking. It took us just over 5 hrs to do this rugged 16 mile hike. Didn't see one other hiker the entire day. A great wilderness experience.

Suter Falls was really flowing and the thousand foot climb up the Historic Stage Road to the east rim of the Collins was challenging.

Great day...

Cutting big red oak firewood

This was one huge log.

Some of these pieces of oak weigh 300+ lbs.

Takes every bit of strength I have to move these pieces around. It's very straight wood and should split really well. I'll hopefully have enough cut and split to keep my fireplaces warm all winter.

This Stihl 026 chainsaw is 13 years old and still kicks ass. It was my dad's housewarming gift to me back in early '97.

Thanks Dad. Your gift is well used and appreciated after all these years.

UPDATE: Wood is split, now to stack.

Lower picture... note the three distinct color woods: Red Oak (brown), TN Cedar (purple), and Osage orange (yellow).

Storm chasing 10/26/10

Two tornado warnings for my county on Tuesday this week.

Chased this impressive wall cloud, hoping to see a funnel drop, but it never really fully developed.

Helluva storm though....

NC Mountain wilderness - by boat, cycle, and hiking trail

Photos from my recent trip to NC...
Fontana Lake, Nantahalla Forest, and Great Smoky Mountain National Park.

Center Hill Lake - Last weekend in Sept. '10

Center Hill Lake, Sept. 25-27, '10.

(click photos to enlarge)

On a mostly cloudy day, just as the sun was setting, a brilliant burst of yellow sunshine contrasted beautifully with the dark clouds (pic 1).

Looking toward the sun just moments later, the clouds parted briefly to reveal an ethereal sunset. (pic 2)

Hiking down the beach, I parked the Sea Ray on the soft sand. (pic 3)

Something I had not seen before, a deer swimming across the lake. I got quite close to her with the boat and watch her stagger to the shore, exhausted. (pic 4)

Walking along the cliffs I heard a big houseboat coming. Who would be out here on a Monday... besides me? Oh, it was Alan Jackson, taking his behemoth redneck house boat from the marina to his mansion.


I was surprised to find many wildflowers including fresh honey suckle vine growing along the lake. Also, lots of ripe scuppernong muscadine grapes around the lake edge. I collected a bouquet for the galley. Tea is a necessity for boating, ask any Brit.

Water temperature is still 79°, swimming was nice.

I really need to start bringing my camera on these trips. Again, all photos taken with my cell phone.

Thinking about screaming to Dave Ramsey

By November, my house will be paid off.

Having an abundance of concerts in the past few years has allowed me to get way ahead on mortgage payments. I could pay it off now, but I think I might buy a car first. This will be the first time since my pre-college youth that I will be 100% debt free. I might just call Dave Ramsey and scream "I'm debt free!" This is one of the most important milestones of life. Wanted to do it before I turned 50, but whats a few months?

I've often thought about selling this place and moving to a more isolated setting with a bluff view or on the water, but I'm pretty happy with my place. I thought about reopening it as a Bn'B. I thought about building a smaller cabin in my woods and renting out the big house. Any ideas?

It will always be worth more than it's appraised value since it's a unique historic house, hand-hewn in the 1830's from red cedar, (moved and reassembled in the '60's), and location location location... it's on 4 acres in the largest stand of big oak forest within one mile of the largest undergraduate college in the state.

Not a bad spot.

Bottom pic: the back patio under the solarium is where I spend most of my time in the summer. 100% private, I like that.

TN River gorge - pictures of morning and storm clouds

Morning in the TN River gorge. It was a calm serene morning. Osprey and blue heron were fishing. I was amazed by the lack of boat traffic for a Saturday. We definitely found the nicest and least populated part of the TN River gorge, near Raccoon Mountain, about 12 miles outside of Chattanooga.

I took these pics with a cell phone, so they are not very sharp, (click to enlarge).

Later that day, I saw it coming.





The thing most boaters don't want to see on the open water: a severe storm... except me of course, I like storms. On the radar, it looked like it would be brief, so I didn't put up my full canvass, a mistake.


By the time I saw the wall cloud dipping down, seeming headed right for my boat, I decided to drop anchor and hide in the cabin.


The wind then started picking up and serious waves started hitting the boat. I could tell my anchor was slipping because the waves were catching me broadside. Not good. Rain was pouring in from under the top canvass and every time I went out to put up the side canvass, lightning chased me back into the cabin. At times the boat was rocking pretty violently with white caps slapping the boat around. Quite a ride!

I was OK after the anchor caught and turned the boat into the wind which I estimate to have hit 55 mph with near zero visibility in heavy rain.

It was a great storm.

I love the summer.